The Milwaukee Bucks have looked like a powerhouse thus far in these 2021 NBA playoffs. There is one question everyone outside of Wisconsin is asking, though. Are the Bucks for real?
The Miami Heat will tell you for sure that the Bucks are real. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks took a commanding 3-0 lead with a 113-84 victory over the Heat Thursday night. Aside from game one, the Bucks have outplayed and dominated the Heat in this series, outscoring the Heat in games two and three by a combined 63 points. The Bucks look like a completely different team than they did in the Orlando Bubble when these teams met just eight months ago.
Even though Milwaukee had a better record and higher seeding last season, the Bucks are playing far better when it matters this season. What matters is the playoffs. Yes, this is only the first round. But after the egg this Bucks team laid last year against the Heat in the second round, this start is more than welcomed by the team and fans alike.
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The addition of point guard Jrue Holiday in the offseason has proven to be a game-changer for the Bucks. His [Holiday] hard-nosed defense on the perimeter coupled with his basketball IQ and efficiency on offense has provided the upgrade the Bucks had been searching for. Through the first three games of the playoffs, Holiday is averaging 16.7ppg, 10ast, and shooting 52.5-percent from the field.
The flow of these games just feels different from the series in the 2020 playoffs. Miami doesn’t look to be in the same class of team as the Bucks. Jimmy Butler’s will and determination aren’t going to be enough this time around. The Heat will need a miracle at this point if they hope to duplicate the outcome of this series to match last season.
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For the Bucks, the real test will come in the second round, yet again. That juggernaut in Brooklyn is looking downright dominant in their first-round series with the Celtics as well. Most people expect a cupcake-filled road for the Nets on their way to at least the eastern conference finals. The Bucks should have something to say about that to some extent.
The main question for the Nets is, what are they going to do with Giannis? While the Nets’ defense did get better as the season progressed, this team as currently situated isn’t known for being a force on defense. The Nets do just enough on defense while possessing the ability to get any shot they want for any player they want on offense.
Having Holiday running the Bucks’ offense and helping Giannis spearhead the defense should prove to be a formidable obstacle standing in the Nets’ way.
The Bucks did suffer a loss in their win Thursday night in the form of the other starting guard Donte DiVincenzo. DiVincenzo suffered a foot injury during the second quarter of the game. The MRI on Friday showed a torn ligament in DiVincenzo’s left ankle. DiVincenzo was a key contributor for the Bucks all season and now he looks to be done for the remainder of these playoffs.
While the loss of DiVincenzo is a blow to the Bucks, it isn’t a crushing blow. The Bucks still have enough to make it an entertaining and competitive series with the Nets, though, in the end, it likely won’t be enough to overcome all that firepower the Nets possess.